Best Lemon Spice Butter Cookies Recipes

LEMON BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, milk and extract. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and chill for 2 hours. , Preheat oven to 350°. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a 2-in. cookie cutter dipped in flour. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Sprinkle with colored sugar if desired. , Bake until the edges just begin to brown, 8-9 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.

LEMON-SPICE VISITING CAKE

Steps:

• Center a rack in the oven, and heat it to 350. Butter an 8 1/2-inch loaf pan (Pyrex works well), dust with flour and tap out the excess. (For this cake, bakers' spray isn't as good as butter and flour.) Place on a baking sheet.
• Whisk the 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, cardamom, ginger and salt together.
• Put the sugar in a large bowl, and grate the zest of the lemon(s) over the sugar. Squeeze the lemon(s) to produce 3 tablespoons juice, and set this aside. Using your fingers, rub the sugar and zest together until the mixture is moist and aromatic. One at a time, add the eggs, whisking well after each. Whisk in the juice, followed by the heavy cream. Still using the whisk, gently stir the dry ingredients into the batter in two additions. Stir the vanilla into the melted butter, and then gradually blend the butter into the batter. The batter will be thick and have a beautiful sheen. Scrape it into the loaf pan.
• Bake for 70 to 75 minutes (if the cake looks as if it's getting too dark too quickly, tent it loosely with foil) or until a tester inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer to a rack, let rest for 5 minutes and then carefully run a blunt knife between the sides of the cake and the pan. Invert onto the rack, and turn over. Glaze now, or cool to room temperature.
• For the glaze: Bring the marmalade and water to a boil. Brush the glaze over the top of the warm cake, and allow to it to set for 2 hours. The glaze will remain slightly tacky.
• When the cake is completely cool, wrap in plastic to store. If it's glazed, wrap loosely on top.

LEMON-BUTTER SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Sift or whisk flour, salt, and baking powder together in a bowl.
• Place butter in a large mixing bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until very creamy. Add confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, and flour mixture; mix until well combined.
• Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into rounds using a round cookie cutter. Transfer cookies to ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cookies are light brown on the bottom but still very light on top, about 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for about 2 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
• Whisk melted butter and lemon juice together in a small bowl. Add lemon zest and whisk again. Whisk in confectioners' sugar 1 cup at a time. Add more lemon juice if necessary for a thin consistency.
• Dip the top of each cookie in the glaze and transfer to a wire rack placed over waxed paper or parchment paper. Allow cookies to sit until glaze has set, about 2 hours.
• Store cookies in an airtight container between layers of waxed paper.

LEMON BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium until smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar and beat until smooth and silky. Beat in 1 egg yolk, then the salt, vanilla, and lemon zest. Reduce mixer speed to low and add the flour, beating just until incorporated. Do not over-beat. Turn the dough out onto a work surface. Divide dough in two and wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Working on a smooth surface, form each piece of dough into a log 1 to 1 1 /4 inches in diameter. Wrap logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours. Can be prepared up to this point and kept, well wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
• Place one rack in the upper third and one in the lower third of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
• Whisk the remaining egg yolk in a small bowl until smooth. Spread sugar out on a piece of wax paper. Remove the logs from refrigerator, unwrap, and brush lightly with the egg yolk. Roll logs in the sugar, pressing to adhere. Slice crosswise 1/4-inch-thick using a sharp knife. Place on prepared baking sheet, leaving about 1/2-inch between cookies.
• Bake until set but not brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer cookies to cooling rack until room temperature. Will keep stored in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to 5 days.

LEMON-BUTTER SPRITZ COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. , Using a cookie press fitted with the disk of your choice, press dough 1 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Sprinkle with colored sugar. , Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly brown around the edges.

LEMON-LIME BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, beat butter and confectioners' sugar until blended. Beat in citrus zest and lemon juice. Gradually beat in flour., Shape into a disk; wrap. Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm enough to roll., Preheat oven to 325°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-in. round cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets., Bake 16-19 minutes or until edges are light brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.